by Jeff Zillgitt, USA TODAY Sports

by Jeff Zillgitt, USA TODAY Sports

The Charlotte Bobcats made a surprise move last June when they hired Mike Dunlap as coach.

After one season and the second-worst record in the NBA at 21-61, the Bobcats fired Dunlap on Tuesday.

"(General manager) Rich Cho and I conducted our season-ending review and met with Coach Dunlap to reflect on this season. As an organization, it was decided that we needed to make a change with the head coach position," Bobcats president of basketball operations Rod Higgins said in a statement. "We want to thank Mike for his contribution and wish him the best in his future endeavors."

Charlotte plucked Dunlap from St. John's where he was an assistant. But he had NBA experience, serving as an assistant for the Denver Nuggets under George Karl.

Charlotte started 7-5, and there was early belief that Dunlap had the team headed in the right direction. But the Bobcats then lost 18 consecutive games from Nov. 26 through Dec. 29. They had one win in December, three wins in January, two wins in February and a 10-game losing streak in late February and early March.

Bobcats owner and Hall of Famer Michael Jordan has struggled to turn around the franchise's losing ways. He bought the team at the end of the 2009-10 season and in the three seasons since, Charlotte has gone 34-48, 7-59 and 21-61, a winning percentage of .269.

Before becoming majority owner, Jordan owned a smaller percentage of the team and was involved in basketball operations. He had little success then, too.

Dunlap is also the third Bobcats coach in three seasons. Charlotte started 2010-11 with Larry Brown and finished with Paul Silas, who was let go after 2011-12.

Charlotte made the playoffs in 2009-10 but has regressed. The Bobcats have drafted decent young talent in recent years (guard Kemba Walker and forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist) but they are still a ways from competing for a playoff spot.